Content Moderation On Social Media: A Shield Against Harm Or A Tool For Censorship? An Empirical Study Through User Perception
- IJLLR Journal
- 4 hours ago
- 1 min read
Falak Naz, KIIT School of Law
ABSTRACT
We conduct our lives online, especially socially. But what happens when social media companies tell us what we can do and say? Are they looking out for us from harm while dictating speech, or are they working to maintain control over our speech? Social media has become a part of our everyday lives via socializing, debating, discussing, and sharing information. Social media users are left with questions regarding the fairness of speech moderation decisions, how and why the decisions are made, and whether everyone is treated equally. Social media companies moderate, eliminate, and/or filter posts they deem harmful or misleading, thereby regulating what is shared online. This paper explores continuity, or dissatisfaction, from the social media user perspective regarding online content moderation and asks, is it a trust-based safeguard against harmful content in online communities, or an outcome of unwarranted censorship due to moderating to the limits of free speech and expression? The study examines how users view content moderation, their trust in moderation decisions, and how they make sense of the rationale for content take-down or restriction using empirical methods. Finally, it explains critical topics regarding the moderation of online speech including how to best reach a balanced approach between facilitating open forms of communication and safety of members of online communities in an ever-changing digital landscape.
Keywords: Content Moderation, Censorship, Free Speech and Expression, Social media users, Harmful content, User Perception
